The jury in the trial of a Napier man accused of "sadistic" offending against his girlfriend over two-and-a-half years need a second day to deliberate on their verdicts.
They have been allowed to go home tonight after six hours of deliberations, and will resume again tomorrow morning.
Timothy Hebberley faces 28 charges including rape, sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection, injuring with intent, assault with intent, male assaults female, assault with a weapon, kidnapping, threatening to kill, intimidation and threatening grievous bodily harm.
During the week-long trial at the High Court at Napier, the Crown presented evidence to the jury that the 20-year-old allegedly branded his partner with hot wire, burnt her with lighters, cigarette butts and candle wax, intentionally dislocated her limbs, and locked her in a small room with a dangerous dog for two hours.
It was also claimed he punched, kicked and strangled her, assaulted her with a knife, cups, plates and an X-box controller, threatened to kill her, and kidnapped her.